The Eye Of The Hurricane
by wavingthroughawindow
Summary: AU. Where Angelica and Eliza are princesses trying to navigate through the ins and outs of royal life, and Hamilton is the charming, witty, and adorable orphan who catches the entire royal community's eyes. Especially Eliza. Fluff, Hamliza.
1. Chapter 1

Princess Angelica was at her breaking point.

To begin with, she was 20, and her birthday was in a month. When she turned 21, she would replace her mother, Queen Catherine, as queen of Erudite.

But she didn't want to be queen. For many reasons.

Being queen came with influence, but no actual power. The inherently anti-feminist structure of society made sure that she couldn't make any lasting changes as queen. No, that power went to the person she married.

She didn't want that for herself. She wanted to take a stand against sexism. For all of her life, Angelica had wanted nothing more than to be a writer and a politician. As a child, she had been rather vocal about these desires. Her parents, of course, told her how unsuitable a profession this was for a young lady like her. Of course, this only fueled her defiant streak. She _would_ be a writer or politician, or else she would die.

Though her father, King Philip, claimed being queen was just as good as being a politician, she wasn't buying it. No, there was no use in being a politician if the government was a monarchy. She, Angelica Schuyler, did not want to be queen, so that she could make some changes in society without the eyes of the kingdom watching her.

But there was another reason she didn't want to be queen. And that had to do with her sister.

Princess Elizabeth Schuyler was the perfect sister and princess; good, true, loyal, sweet, charming. She would also be the perfect queen. So what was stopping Eliza from being queen? It was her, Angelica Schuyler, the worst sister ever. And she didn't like that.

Besides the impending queenship, Angelica had to deal with the problems of being a princess, the biggest one being _male advances_. Whether or not she was queen, she would have to marry someone soon. Otherwise, her life would turn into a living hell. Not that it wasn't already.

Angelica had no clue what to do with her problems. But they were there, and she had to deal with them fast. She sighed. Life was so unfair.

A knock on her door. "Come in," she said.

It was her maid, Elise. "Your family wants to talk to you," she said.

Angelica groaned. Just what she needed. "Okay, I'll be there in five," she replied.

"I would advise you to hurry," Elise noted. "Your father's in a bit of a bad mood."

"Great," Angelica said, rolling her eyes. "Just let me freshen up, and I'll be there."

* * *

Alex hated the orphanage.

The 'caretakers' were cruel and vicious, and cared only about themselves. The place was filthy and unkempt. The food was meager and awful.

But it was more than that. In every orphan story he had ever read, orphans had found happiness in company. The two idiotic orphans would go off on some misadventures and have fun along the way.

Alex was not like that. He was more than alone. He was drowning in the orphanage. No one here understood him, no one wanted to read or write or learn. Forgotten by the world, and alone in the orphanage, slowly but surely, Alexander Hamilton was disappearing.

Alex was tired of drowning in his emotions. He wanted _out_. He wanted friendship, love, life, laughter. He picked up a quill. Maybe he could write about it. At least the paper would listen.

Blotting the quill with ink, Alex pressed it to the paper and began to write.

 _Hey readers! I hope you like this, sorry it's so short. It's just the first chapter._

 _For all my Finding The Heart readers, I am taking a temporary break from that one. I haven't read ACOWAR and it feels kinda wrong._

 _Rest assured, I will have a lot of fun writing this story. Chapter 1 was only exposition, I promise there's more coming. :)_

 _I plan to go up until Dear Theodosia/Laurens Interlude, since I don't want to AU politics. However, I may stretch it just to include Philip's death._

 _Stay beautiful 3_


	2. Chapter 2

Wearily, Angelica pushed open the door to the Schuyler meeting room. Her parents and sister were there already, deep in a discussion. To her surprise, so was General Washington. She started, and gave a little wave. He waved back, and she smiled.

General Washington was such a good man. He was so honest, and noble, and carried himself with a dignity that seemed almost godly. But what was he doing here?

She glanced over the rest of the table and met the eyes of her sister. They smiled at each other, and for a moment, something went through them. Angelica loved that about Eliza. She could always read her mind.

"We're discussing war tactics," Eliza told Angelica, as if to answer her question. "Or, at least, they are. I had an important question."

"Thanks, sis," Angelica replied. "I promise, I'll get to your question. Just a second." She turned to General Washington. "So, what's the war all about?"

"Oh, the usual stuff, our kingdom's under attack, people want more territory, and we have to fend them off," he replied, waving a hand submissively.

"But then why are we all making such a big deal out of it?" Angelica persisted. She was not going to let this go.

General Washington sighed. "Here's the deal," he said. "Though the cause of the war is normal enough, these are _renowned_ fighters. There are so many of them, too," he stated, matter-of-factly. "We really don't have good enough leadership to deal with them."

"That doesn't sound good," Angelica replied. "I'm sure we can shake it off, though…"

"No, I don't think it's as easy as that," General Washington said. "See, the thing is, there are rumors. I'm not sure how true they are. But apparently this legion is under the command of a dragon."

Angelica groaned. "Excellent, excellent," she said, sinking into her chair as General Washington turned back to the Schuylers to resume their discussion. She turned to Eliza. "Now, what was your question?"

"Did you not hear him?" Eliza replied. "A dragon! How can you be taking this so lightly?"

"I'm having a rough day to begin with, so it's not like the news can get any worse," Angelica replied frankly. "I'd much rather hear your question than strategize."

She felt herself being enveloped in Eliza's light embrace, and instantly it was as if a ton had been released from her shoulders. Eliza began to speak.

"I want to go visit a local orphanage," she said.

"That's it?" Angelica was a little bit surprised at the simplicity of her sister's request. Then again, Eliza had always been like that.

"Angelica, you don't understand," Eliza looked at her. Pleading was etched all over those soft doe eyes. "I may be a princess, but right now, I'm useless. Your greater calling in life may be to take a stand against sexism. Me? I'm helping no one. I should know the state of my kingdom."

Tears filled Angelica's eyes. What had she done to deserve such a perfect sister? Eliza would be the best queen ever, even she knew it. She wrapped her arms around Eliza.

"Of course you can go," she said. "If Mom and Dad ask where you are, I'll tell them."

"That's settled, then," said Eliza, springing out of her chair and twirling a bit. "I'm off! Bye!"

Angelica sighed as Eliza left the door. It just wasn't fair that the oldest child had to be the queen. It wasn't fair that she got the queenship of Erudite, when Eliza was so much more… ready for the job. But she couldn't do anything about it, could she?

Could she? She nudged General Washington gently to ask for advice. He was good with these sorts of things. Unfortunately, her parents were deep in a conversation with him. So when she nudged with him, three pairs of eyes landed on her.

Oh no. "What is it, Angelica?" her dad asked.

"It's nothing, go on," she said, quickly waving a hand.

"Angelica, I will not take that answer," her dad replied. "Now, tell me, what is so important to you that you interrupted our discussion?"

She gulped. "I was… wondering…" She swallowed. Should she say it?

"Go on," her mother said to her, with that no-nonsense look on her face.

"WoulditbepossibleforElizatobequeeninsteadofme?" she said quickly. Phew.

"What was that?" her dad asked.

"Would it be possible for Eliza to be queen instead of me?" Angelica repeated, more slowly.

Her mother gasped. "But why?"

Angelica took a deep breath. This would go fine. "The thing is, Mom, I've never really wanted to be queen. There are way too many responsibilities, and way too much public scrutiny. The position has never appealed to me. And Eliza would make such an amazing queen, don't you think?"

Her dad looked thoughtful. "That's true," he said. "Where is Eliza, by the way?"

"Visiting a local orphanage, like a true queen," Angelica replied smoothly.

"Huh," her mom said. She looked thoughtful. "That is really...well, responsible of her, you know?"

She smiled. Maybe the tables were turning her way.

Throughout all of this, General Washington had been quiet, but now he spoke. "If Angelica doesn't want to be queen, you should consider that. The future of our kingdom lies in her hands."

"True," her dad said. "Listen, Angelica, I'm going to have to think about this. This is all so… sudden, you know? You should have told us all this earlier."

Well. Better than she had hoped for. "I just didn't know how to," she said. "You wouldn't have listened anyway." It was hard to keep the accusation out of her voice.

"Okay, young lady, that's enough," her dad said. "Back to war tactics! You can leave, by the way," he added, nodding at Angelica.

In response, Angelica turned around and walked out of the room, head held high. Though the day had not been a complete success, Angelica couldn't help but feel like it wasn't a total failure… and for the first time in months, she felt a small weight release from her shoulders.

* * *

"Hello?" Eliza called into the bleak and desolate orphanage.

She had insisted that her bodyguards remain behind. No, she wanted to do this herself. She would go in there, and she would improve somebody's life.

A gang of dirty and wild boys opened the door for Eliza. Looking at their bony, starved frames, she couldn't help but feel bad for them. Yet… their eyes…

"A visitor!" one exclaimed.

"Who are you?" another said, twirling a baton around in his hand.

"Yeah, whaddya think you're doing here?" a third said, confrontationally. It was all Eliza could do not to lash out at them.

'They don't know any better,' she thought. "I'm Princess Eliza Schuyler," she said, smiling at them.

"Do you have food for us?" another boy said.

"I have a few rolls… where's your caretaker?" Eliza asked.

"Out," a little boy giggled. Giggled.

Their eyes… they didn't look starved, or deprived at all. No, they looked supremely happy, and full to the brim of mischief.

Then what use could she, as a queen, be to them? Sure, she could provide them food, but when all was said and done, they were satisfied. She didn't know what to think of that.

"All right, you guys, go outside, make a nice line for the man in silver over there " -she gestured to her bodyguard- "and you'll get your warm rolls," she finished. The boys started filing out.

Eliza peeked into the orphanage. Surely she should find out what condition these poor boys were living in…

She took a few steps in, looking around. The place was truly filthy. It looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years. Soot and dirt covered the floor, lined the walls and the ceiling. Everywhere she looked, there were cobwebs and dust bunnies.

Trying not to think about what creatures might dwell in the filthy home, she took a few more steps and looked around some more. To her surprise, a young man, about her age, was hunched over a desk, writing.

Curiosity moved her. Why was he writing so furiously? Why was he not with all the other boys? Slowly, but steadily, she moved closer to him, and took a seat near him.

He didn't notice. In a reverie, he continued to write as if there was no tomorrow. Eliza just sat there and counted her breaths. One, two. One, two.

After what seemed like an eternity, he signed his name and looked up.

* * *

Alex started. There was a girl sitting next to him, of his age, watching him write. This was a boys' home. What was she doing here?

"Uh, hi, Alexander Hamilton?" he offered.

"Princess Elizabeth Schuyler," she replied.

Ah. A princess. "Aren't you a bit young to be doing rounds of the orphanages?" he said.

"I want to know what my kingdom is like right now," she said, steel in her eyes.

"Well, you've seen," he shrugged. "What do you think?"

"It's disgusting," she said, shuddering a little bit. "I don't know how they let you live like this, wallowing in your own filth…"

"The rest don't care," he replied. "That's why nothing's happened. In a way, I feel bad for them. They've known no other life, so this is normal for them."

"Huh," she looked thoughtful. "What about you?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Alex said. He was frightfully protective of his past. Anyone would be, if they had been through his past.

"Oh, that's okay," she said. "So, why were you writing?"

He shrugged. "The paper listens to me," he said.

"Can I read it?" she asked, laying a hand on it.

His first instinct was to scream 'NO!' at her.

But… someone else _wanted_ to read it. Wasn't the same thing as someone else wanting to listen to him? Wasn't that what he wanted? Plus, this princess seemed so _good_. There really was no other word for it.

"Okay," he said.

* * *

Eliza picked up the paper, and slowly started to read.

The writing was deep, to say the least. It was about the horrible conditions in the orphanage. The squalor, the cruel caretakers who were drunk more often than sober, and what he had been talking about, the boys who had been raised with this as the norm. But more than all of that, he talked about the loneliness in the orphanage; the lack of friends, and how he felt like he was drowning in the loneliness.

By the last page, she was in tears. "This is… really good," she sniffled. "Your writing could get you places. Mind if I keep a copy?"

He hesitated for a moment, then replied. "Yeah, it's fine."

"I have to go," she said, her face still tear streaked. "But thank you so much for opening my eyes. Hopefully I'll see you soon."

As she walked outside, the boys poured in, smiles shining ear to ear. For a brief minute, her pity for them washed away, as she just marveled at their happiness.

Then she looked at the basket in which her rolls had been. She had brought enough for three orphanages. Looking inside, there were none left. The poor children had been starved.

All in all, Eliza felt it had been a good day. She sat into her carriage as the driver began the journey back to the Erudite Palace.

"That Hamilton boy was really something," she thought, as they rode over the distance.

 _Hi readers!_

 _Firstly, thank you so much for the really sweet reviews I got! They are really encouraging, and chances are, the more reviews I get, the faster I'll post. :)_

 _Regarding posting schedule, I don't really have a strict schedule. Odds are, though, I'll post every Sunday. I will try not to have gaps over a week long, but no promises._

 _Again, this chapter is even more exposition, but I hope you like it!_

 _Stay beautiful :)_


	3. Chapter 3

"Hello?"

It was 6 in the morning, and a loud knock on her door had woken Angelica up abruptly. Groaning, she sat up, and rolled out of bed.

"Who is it?" Angelica called.

"It's your mother," the voice replied. Angelica started. What could her mother want with her at such an unearthly hour?

"Okay," she said, opening the door. Her mother walked in. She looked bright eyed and perky, with her makeup already done and her hair perfectly brushed. How did she accomplish it? Angelica herself looked like a mess, with unkempt hair and dark circles under her eyes.

Her mother sat down at her bed. "Angelica, I have to tell you something," she said.

"Okay…." What could possibly be this important?

"Your dad and I have been thinking about what you said yesterday, sweetheart," she said, a rare look of affection on her face. "If you don't want to be queen, we don't think you should be queen."

Wow. This was not how she expected this conversation to go. "Thank you," she said, beaming at her mom.

"Angelica, honey, we love you very much, but you must understand this decision wasn't about you," she continued.

What? _Her_ queenship was not about her? Did her parents really not care? She nodded, trying to push back the tears that were welling in her eyes.

"We must consider the greater good of the country. If our queen doesn't want to be queen, then the kingdom will suffer. Your father and I have agreed that it is for the greater good that you step down from the throne."

"Okay," Angelica said, a little choked up. This was how she wanted it to go, wasn't it? And yet… she couldn't help but feel stung. Her parents thought her attitude would make her a second rate queen… She knew that if she were forced to be queen, she would do her best for the kingdom. Not mope around about her fate. For her parents to think otherwise… well, it hurt. It hurt more deeply than anything.

Her parents never really had cared about her, had they… They cared about her image, what she should be. But not what she was. No, all they cared about was the kingdom. Erudite this and Erudite that. She supposed it was the rulership which had hardened them, left them so busy with their kingdom that they didn't have anything left over for her. She felt tears beginning to slide down her cheeks… this conversation was over.

"Thank you," Angelica managed to say as her mother left the room. As the door closed, the tears hit fully, and she let her sorrow bury her.

* * *

"Hello?"

It was 6 in the morning, and Eliza couldn't imagine for the life of her what her father wanted with her. Groaning, she rolled out of bed and opened the door.

"Yes?" she replied.

"Eliza, we need to talk," her father said, entering the room.

Oh no. This never was good. Had her father found out about her little adventure? Was he here to scold her about it? With a sinking feeling, Eliza sat on her bed and nodded at her father.

"Your sister and I were talking yesterday," her father started. "Apparently, she doesn't want to be queen. And she thinks you should be queen instead."

"Wait, what?" Eliza said blearily. Surely she hadn't heard him right. Her? Queen? And Angelica said _that_?

"You heard me. Your sister sang praises of you, to say the least. She told us about your little escapade yesterday, and I have to say, it _was_ a very queenly thing to do." He smiled.

Beaming with pride, Eliza replied, "It was my duty to the kingdom."

"Your mother and I have talked about it for a little while, and we have a proposition for you."

"Okay…" Eliza was curious. Were they enstating her as queen? And if they were, would she accept?

Yes. She would accept. She wanted to be queen. She wanted to serve her kingdom; make it a better place. Since she had been a baby, Eliza had cast secret longing glances at the throne, wishing to be queen someday. Even as she got older, the allure of being queen never left her. Being queen was her calling. Of course she would accept.

"You will be queen _if_ you find a suitable man to marry," her dad said. "If you marry a man who is not only a suitable match for you, but a suitable match for the throne, we will let you be queen."

"Deal," Eliza said instinctively, shaking hands with her father. "Thank you," she added as he left the room.

Well. Not bad. But Eliza sincerely hoped her 'king' would be someone she loved. Hopeless romantic that she was, she wanted, no, _needed,_ to have a passionate and steamy love affair with the man she married. She needed to feel undying love.

Without warning, her mind jumped to Alex from the orphanage. He had been so intelligent, so well-spoken, so _funny_. And he was about her age…

Why was she thinking these things? She barely even knew him! No. She would have to go tell Angelica the happy news. Shoving these thoughts aside, she changed into a simple dress, put on shoes, and ran to Angelica's room.

* * *

"Angelica!" Eliza pounded on the door. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah, yeah," came the reply, barely audible. Eliza leaned against the door. A moment later, it was opened from the inside, causing her to start. She whirled around.

"Angelica, I have big…" She stopped. Her sister's eyes were red and puffy, her face forlorn and dejected.

"What's wrong?" Eliza tried again.

"Nothing," Angelica replied brusquely. "Are you queen now?"

"Almost," Eliza smiled, wrapping her arms around her sister. "I'll never be able to thank you enough for that."

"Wait, what do you mean, 'almost'?" Angelica said abruptly.

"Well, the thing is, they said I could be queen _if_ I found a suitable match. But I'm sure I will, don't you think?" she explained.

"Shit," Angelica muttered. "Shit, shit, shit."

"Why?" Eliza pressed, concerned. "Angelica, are you okay?"

"Am I okay. Am I okay. Hmm… let's think," Angelica said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "This morning, I was awoken at 6:00 only to be dethroned by my parents. Sure, I asked for it. But you know what I learned? That my parents care more about the kingdom than they do about me. You see, they're dethroning me for the sake of the _kingdom_ , not for me. And they made no secret of it."

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" Eliza said, rushing to comfort her sister.

"And then you come in to talk to me. The thing is, I'd probably be able to put up with all of this shit if they had made you queen, good and proper. But no. Now you have to find a _suitable match._ If this isn't sexism, I don't know what it is. And it's too much for me to handle," she finished.

"Angelica Schuyler, look at me," Eliza pressed. "You are the smartest, most talented, wittiest, and funniest person I know. And I don't just say that as a sister. It's really true. You have so much talent, you would be queen of the world if not for your restrictions. You are more amazing and capable than any man I will ever marry, you hear me? And if that's not true, well, the man would have to be a genius." She squeezed her sister's hand.

"Thank you," Angelica replied curtly. "No, really," she continued, seeing the disappointment in Eliza's eyes. "What you said really meant a lot to me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to be alone." She turned around as if to close the door.

Sighing, Eliza nodded and turned around, starting to slowly walk back to her room. As she walked back, a thought occurred to her.

"Wait!" she called.

"Yeah?" her sister replied.

"Come to the orphanage with me," Eliza said. "We can spend time together. Plus, there's someone I'd really like you to meet."

"What's his name?" Angelica queried.

"Alexander Hamilton," Eliza said, the name itself warming her heart.

"Ooh," Angelica said, mischief twinkling in her eyes. "Any young man who catches my sister's eye must be something indeed."

"Angelica, it's not like that!" Eliza protested.

"Whatever you say, sweetheart," Angelica replied. "But I need to meet this guy."

"So are you coming or are you not coming?" Eliza asked.

* * *

Angelica was speechless. Her sister was the sweetest little angel to have ever existed. She brightened up her day like no one else could. In this case, she had turned her whole day around with an invitation to the orphanage.

And… a guy was in the picture. Angelica was very curious know. After all, Eliza was not easily susceptible like _that_. There had to be… something special about this guy. And she was determined to find out what.

Without further hesitation, Angelica replied, "Yes, I'm in."

 _A/N: Hey readers! I hope you liked this chapter, it was really fun to write! :) Please be sure to review!_

 _I won't be posting for a couple weeks after this...life calls me. But I'll be back with more content than ever! (And possibly a few Easter eggs... you're just going to have to keep an eye out!)_

 _Anyway, that's all for now. Stay beautiful! :)_


	4. Chapter 4

**Alex**

Alex was writing, as usual.

This wasn't his usual type of writing, though. Normally, Alex wrote essays, real essays inspired by parts of his life that he wanted changed. Sort of like what he had written for Eliza.

But today, he was writing a story. It was a story about far-off places and kingdoms, with battles and dragons and heroics. There were princesses and queens, and fairies and unicorns. Alex smiled. He couldn't help but imagine himself as the hero of his story, a low-born orphan who rose to fame in the king's army, catching the attention of the good princess Kate and falling in love with her.

He closed his eyes and imagined the king proudly kneeling before him and handing him a sword. As the crowd applauded for him, he looked at his princess. But for some reason, it was the very real Princess Elizabeth he saw, and not his fictional princess Kate.

Shocked and disgusted, Alex opened his eyes, only to see Princess Elizabeth standing before him, in real life.

"What are you doing here?" he spluttered.

"She's _scoping_ ," the girl behind her giggled.

"Who are you?" Alex said, frowning. Why were these people visiting him? What did they want from him?

"Princess Angelica Schuyler, pleased to make your acquaintance," she said. But why was she smiling like that at the other princess?

"Charmed," he replied, with an eyeroll.

"My sister talks about you _all the time,_ " she continued.

"I do _not!_ " Princess Elizabeth replied, shoving her sister. Alex felt her respect for her rise.

"Could the two of you cut the chase and tell me what you want?" Alex grumbled. What on earth were these foolish, idiotic princesses doing?

"Why should we want anything?" Princess Elizabeth replied.

"Uh, because you're a princess?" he said. "All princesses want _something…_ They even sing songs about it."

" _Please,_ " she scoffed. "You can call me Eliza." Behind her, the other princess was grinning wickedly.

"But why are you here?" he asked.

"Well," Eliza started, "I was rereading your writing, and I've decided I want to do something about your condition."

"Really?" Though his brain warned him against it, Alex allowed hope to fill him for the first time in years, just for that moment. He trusted Eliza, though he wasn't sure why.

"No, I'm here to fill your head with false hope and then fly into the night cackling evilly on my broomstick," Eliza rolled her eyes. "Of course _really,_ you idiot!" She playfully punched him.

"I'm not an idiot!" Alex exclaimed. "You've read my writing!" He rubbed his shoulder, where she had punched him. For a princess, she really packed a punch.

"You seem like one to me," Princess Angelica interjected.

"Ignore her, she's a bit cynical," Eliza replied. "Now, as I was saying -"

"Nope, sis, I'm going to have to stop you here." Princess Angelica turned to Alex. "If you're not an idiot, then prove it."

"Prove it, Princess?" he repeated idiotically. He snorted at the irony.

"Yes, prove it," Princess Angelica replied. "And you can call me Angelica."

"Fine. Read my writing," he said, handing an essay on equal rights in politics to her. "I'll give you a moment now."

Angelica stepped away, engrossed in his essay, and he smiled. He had won that battle. He turned to Eliza.

"So what are you here for?" he asked her. "Phase one of your grand plan?"

"Erm… not exactly," Eliza replied sheepishly. "I… uh… haven't actually asked my parents about it yet…I'm sure they'll say yes, though," she finished. "After all, I am going to be queen."

"Then what are you here for?" he asked.

"I just wanted to… uh… let you know. That I'm helping you." Eliza smiled hopefully.

Alex was at a loss for words. She had come all this way just to _let her know?_

"Thank you, I guess, for _letting me know,_ " he replied, shrugging.

"I like talking to you, too," she admitted. "You're much more interesting than all of those palace idiots. Except General Washington."

"You're much more interesting than all of these idiot orphans, as well," he replied, then shuddered. "It's like living with twenty real life Tom Sawyers."

"Ick, that's terrible!" Eliza replied. "I can see how it wouldn't quite suit everyone, especially you," she smiled.

Eliza's gaze fell on Alex's story. "What's that?" she asked, casually.

"Just a story," Alex replied, trying to sound equally casual. _Please don't let her read it, please don't let her read it…_

"Ooh, a story!" Eliza picked it up and started to read it.

Shit.

To his great relief, she put it down after one page. "A war hero!" she exclaimed. "Do you fancy yourself as one?"

"Kind of," he admitted.

"I'll say," she said, frowning. "Hey! I just thought of something!"

"Yeah?" he asked her.

"Well, this morning I was at a meeting with my parents and General Washington," she started. "Apparently, we're going to war. With a dragon!"

"Wow," Alex couldn't keep the awe out of his life. "What over?"

"Oh, I don't know, something stupid, like a territorial dispute, probably," she replied. "But we're supposedly really lacking in soldiers." She looked at him.

"You want me to fight?" he asked.

"Well, that is, if you don't mind risking your life for a kingdom which has done nothing for you in all of your life," she answered, looking down. Was that _shame_ he saw on her face? Alex didn't know, but he felt bad for her. After all, what she had said wasn't entirely true.

"There is nothing more that I want to do," he told her earnestly. "And that's not true. Your kingdom has given me a beautiful princess to talk to."

"Aww, well," she replied, tossing her hair. "If you want to do it, I'll talk to General Washington. I'm sure he'll be open to the idea."

At that moment, Angelica walked in. Alex groaned. What would she say about his writing? But to his complete surprise, she got down on one knee in front of him.

"Alexander Hamilton, let me express my utter shame and embarrassment at calling you an idiot," she said. "Your writing showed to me that not only are you not an idiot, you are a pure genius with the potential of changing my life. I can only hope that you will accept my apology."

"Yeah," he replied, shocked. "Yeah, I accept. I've never heard such things about my writing. I'm absolutely honored."

"They're all true," Eliza reassured. "As I said, your writing could get you places."

"Wait…" Alex's brow furrowed as he looked at the two sisters together. "Eliza, you said you were going to be the queen. But Angelica looks older than you."

"So?" Eliza replied defensively, taking her sister's hand.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to touch a nerve there," Alex said, genuinely contrite. "I'm just confused. Is Erudite more… progressive than the kingdoms I read about?"

"My sister is more progressive than the princesses you read about," Eliza replied, cryptically.

Alex looked at the two of them, at the unconditional love in Angelica's eyes as she looked at Eliza. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"I gave up my throne to Eliza," Angelica said, bluntly. "She would make a far better queen than I."

"Wow," Alex replied, impressed. "That's very… big of you."

"Technically, even I am not guaranteed the throne," Eliza said. "I will be queen if and only if I find a suitable husband to be king."

"What?" Alex said, confused. "Shouldn't you get unconditional queenship?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Angelica replied. "For everything I went through to give up the throne to Eliza, shouldn't she get it unconditionally? But no, this society is just sexist."

"It is," Alex replied, turning to his papers. "I should write a piece on that."

"Yes, please do," Angelica replied. "Eliza, come on, let's let him write in peace."

"I hate to say it, Alex, but we probably should get going," she said, pity written in her eyes. "I'm sorry to be leaving you to the mercy of the orphanage, but we'll keep in touch, okay? And I'll talk to General Washington for you for sure."

"Huh?" Angelica said, looking at Eliza.

"Talk to you later about that," she replied.

"It was nice talking to both of you," Alex interjected. "If all princesses are like you, then the world really is in good hands."

"See you next time!" they said, walking out the door.

'Angelica and Eliza were really something,' he thought. 'Beautiful, smart, witty…'

Alex looked at his paper. Though he wanted to write about sexism, he had to finish his story up first. He put pen to paper and began to write.

 _...and our brave hero, Andrew, lived happily ever after, with his princess Kate to love and cherish always._

He smiled. A happy ending always made a fairy tale so much more enjoyable. This story was complete.

But why did he still see Eliza's face instead of Kate's? He wasn't romantically attracted to her in any way…

"Never mind," Alex said. "I'd best not write any more romance stories. They really play with my head." He turned to his other paper and started writing.

 **A/N:**

 **Hi guys! I am so so sorry for how long it's been since the last update, but I was away, and then I had writer's block, and then I had another idea, and anyway, it was a long while before I could get back to this.**

 **So I'm officially going to end this story at Yorktown. If you want to read something about grief, check out my two-shot The Struggles of Grief. I wrote it on the spur of the moment, and I really hope you like it!**

 **Hope you enjoyed the Hamliza I sprinkled throughout this! I'm sorry it's so short, I promise there will be longer updates in the future. If you liked the story, please please please review! Reviewing really encourages me, and chances are, if I get reviews, I will write faster and update sooner.**

 **That's all, and stay beautiful! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed!**

 **Guest(1): Thank you so much! I love Hamliza too. :)**

 **Guest (2): Glad you think so!**

 **Guest(3): Aww, thanks, your review really made me smile. Hamliza is just the best, isn't it? You're most welcome, it's my pleasure to write this story. :)**

 **Disclaimer: All characters were real people from history. Song lyrics belong to the amazing Lin-Manuel Miranda.**

* * *

"Drafting," Angelica said by way of greeting that morning.

Eliza groaned, rolling around in bed. "What?" she asked groggily.

"General George Washington is officially drafting," Angelica sighed, sitting herself down on Eliza's bed. "Don't you see what this means? We're doomed!"

"Angelica, what's the _time_?" Eliza whined. It seemed too early to be woken up.

"It's eight in the morning, sleepyhead," Angelica shook her. "But don't you see how we're doomed?"

"No," Eliza admitted frankly. "I can't see it at all."

Angelica sighed. "The fact that we are drafting, my dear Eliza, means that our current army _is_ not _large_ enough. We already have 50,000 people! Fifty thousand! That, Eliza, is a lot! The other side must be _gigantic_!"

"Hmm," Eliza mused. She was used to her sister going on tirades like this. "I wonder if Alex is going to join up."

"You're calling him _Alex_ now?" Her sister rolled her eyes.

"Uh, no, actually I've always been calling him Alex," Eliza said, rolling her eyes back. "What's the problem?"

"Well," she started, getting up from the bed, "the guy is clearly a genius! One day, in the future, Alexander Hamilton will be more famous than either of us, and we are going to have to show him the respect that he deserves."

"That's all very well for then, but for now I'm still calling him Alex," she shot back, sitting up in bed. "And I think he's going to join the army. He is going to fight his way to the top."

"Yeah, but have you _read_ his writing? It's-" she paused, "beyond words amazing."

Eliza nodded. Alex's writing had moved her deeply.

"Yes," she said. "I think I felt more emotions in the five minutes that I was reading his writing than in my entire life." She paused. "He's not exactly what you'd call _succinct_ , though," she laughed.

"Yeah, he's pretty verbose," Angelica replied, laughing. "He's great, Eliza. I mean, he's an orphan, so that's going to be a bit of an obstacle for you, but other than that, you have chosen well. In fact, I'm a bit jealous." She smiled mischievously.

Eliza's brow furrowed. "Wait, what are you talking about? What did I choose him for?"

"Oh, nothing," Angelica smiled wickedly.

"Wait…" Understanding dawned on her. "You think we're going to get married!" Her sister nodded. "Well, there is no way I am marrying Alexander Hamilton. In fact," an idea occurred to her, "if I propose, at all, to Alex, I will surrender my queenship." Eliza smiled coyly at her sister.

"What?!" Angelica's look was incredulous. "You can't do that! Who are you going to give the queenship to, Peggy?"

"Nah," Eliza decided. "I'll give it to someone outside the royal family, you know, shake things up a bit?" She yawned, shaking the covers off her feet and stretching them.

"Whoa there," Angelica replied, a look of mild shock on her face. "Where did that come from?"

"Oh, I dunno," Eliza replied. "Whatever, I'm not going to be proposing to him anyway."

"Yeah, right," Angelica rolled her eyes. "And shouldn't we go talk to Mom and Dad about improving the condition of his orphanage?"

"Oh, _right_ ," Eliza facepalmed. "How could I have forgotten about that?" She swung her legs onto the floor and hoisted herself up. "Let's go," she said.

"Sweetie, you need to get dressed. Then we'll go."

* * *

Drafting.

As soon as Alex saw the sign hanging on the orphanage door, he immediately told the orphanage leader that yes, he was going to have to leave indefinitely, and no, he was not sure if he would be coming back. After all, he said, one can't help it if they win everlasting glory and fame in battle, can they?

Still in a whirlwind of excitement, Alex tossed all of his belongings into his old satchel from before the orphanage. He paused. Did he really want a reminder of his old life?

His head began to throb as he picked up the satchel. No, he would not keep it. He wanted to remake himself in the army; make himself into a shining war hero. Old reminders wouldn't serve him any purpose.

Alex dumped out the satchel, then grabbed a potato sack from the kitchen and shoved his papers in messily. He walked out the orphanage door feeling triumphant. He would never have to set foot in the building again, not if he could help it.

He glanced at the sign which he had hastily ripped off the door. 'If you would like to enlist,' it read, 'talk to your local commander at the nearest Town Hall. You will be arming and provisioning yourself. If you are fit to serve but are unable to arm and provision yourself for whatever reason, you will be armed and provisioned by a donor who is unable to serve otherwise.'

Huh. So someone else would be arming and provisioning him. Would that make him any lesser? He shrugged. It didn't matter, he would rise up.

Alex looked at it again. "Talk to your local commander at the nearest Town Hall," he mused. "Well, I'm in the capital of Erudite. So I guess… the town hall is the palace?" He shrugged. "I guess I'll start walking there, to my new life!"

* * *

"Mother?"

Eliza gently knocked on her mother's door. "I have a question for you?"

"Come in," she replied. Eliza walked in, Angelica following suit.

"What is your question?" Her mother turned to face her.

Eliza swallowed, twisting her hair around her finger. She felt Angelica's hand on her shoulder and smiled.

"Uh, so, recently I was visiting an orphanage, and I was noticing how absolutely horrible the conditions are there. I was wondering if we could maybe use a little bit of treasury money to straighten the orphanages out?" She looked hopefully at her mother.

Her mother frowned. "Eliza, that is a very big investment…" she started.

"Wait," Angelica held up a hand from behind Eliza. "Eliza, give her the paper Alex wrote."

Shocked, Eliza could do nothing but nod and continue. "Erm, right," she stammered. "A boy at the orphanage wrote this. Read it?" She shrugged. Angelica pulled out the paper and handed it to her mother, who promptly started reading.

Eliza turned to her sister. "What did you do that for?!" she hissed.

"Why, what's the problem? Isn't that exactly what you got the paper for?" Angelica hissed back.

"Well, it's his right to privacy that _you_ just violated!" Eliza whispered.

Her sister shrugged. "It could get him places. And isn't that what he wanted?"

"Fine, I concede," Eliza replied after some time. "But I'm still not thrilled about this."

After what seemed like an eternity, her mother looked up from the paper.

"Eliza, you are growing up to be a lovely young woman. You will make a fine queen," her mother lectured. "Of course we will grant you the money and resources to improve the condition of orphanages throughout Erudite. In fact," she paused, "consider it your first responsibility as queen. If you can successfully carry this out, we will give you more tasks." She smiled and Eliza grinned at her sister. Success.

"Now, both of you, go talk to General Washington. He wants your help with all the new applicants for the army."

* * *

Name: Alexander Hamilton

Height: 5'7"

Weight: Decline to State

Date of Birth: January 11, 1057

Age: 19

Parents: James A. Hamilton (dec.) and Rachel Faucette (dec.)

Wife: N/A

Children: N/A

Previous Jobs: None

Financial Status: UNABLE TO PROVIDE

Capability to Serve: CAPABLE

Signature:

Alex signed his name with a flourish in the line provided. There! He was done! One step closer to his new life. He grinned.

He felt a sharp nudge from behind and turned around. It was another guy of about his age. He raised his eyebrows.

"How many of these people do you think would have _wives_?" the guy asked him.

He held out an arm. _This_ was high society, and there were norms and rules. "Alexander Hamilton, pleasure to meet you," he replied. "And honestly? I'd be surprised if ten of them were married." He looked around at the raucous crowd.

"John Laurens, and I'm not sure if I can say the same yet," he grinned wolfishly. "Guess we'll have to see if you're willing to sacrifice yourself for me."

"Are you kidding?" Alex laughed. "I barely even know you!"

"Well, we're going to be getting to know each other, then," he put an arm around Alex's shoulder. Alex tried to get out of the embrace but eventually gave in.

"Okay, fine, _fine, fine_. You know, John Laurens, I think I am going to like you."

"I think I can say the same, Alexander Hamilton."

John peered over Alex's shoulder and started reading. "Name, Alexander Hamilton, well, I knew that much. Height, five foot seven. Hm, not bad. Weight, decline to state? What are you hiding, Alexander Hamilton?" He nudged him.

"I just think it's an unfair question!" Alex exclaimed indignantly. "The weight of an individual should not be considered when enlisting soldiers! For starters…"

"Hold it right there," John cut him off. "You clearly have a lot to say about this."

"I have a lot to say about everything," Alex laughed.

"Anyway," John continued, "date of birth… you're only nineteen years old? Not bad, I'm twenty-two. Okay… what's this? Both of your parents are deceased?" He looked at Alex.

Alex looked down. "Yeah, I guess," he said. He didn't want to think about it, much less talk about it.

"Okay then… well, you seem to have turned out all right. Wife, who are they kidding, no one here will have a wife. No children… well, that's to be expected at your ripe young age."

"What do you mean, ripe young age?" Alex elbowed him. "I'm only three years younger than you! Do you have any children?"

"Nah," John waved his hand, "just kidding. Moving on! Previous jobs, none, again, normal at your age. Financial status, unable to provide?" He looked at Alex. "Do you realize what this means? You're relying on some stuffy old rich guy to buy your weapons for you!"

"Well, what choice do I have?" he snapped.

"Ah, don't worry about it, you'll be fine," John patted him on the back. "Worst comes to worst, I'll provide for you."

"Thanks," he smiled gratefully.

"Alex!" he heard a familiar voice. But where was it coming from?

"Who's that?" John asked.

"One of the princesses. Angelica or Eliza," he said casually. "But I can't see them, do you?"

"Hold your horses," John said. "You know the princesses?"

"Visited my orphanage," he replied lightly. "Where are they, then?"

"In there with General Washington," he replied. "They're helping him out, I think…but let me get this straight. Of all the people in the orphanage, they chose to talk to _you_?"

"Thanks," Alex replied coldly. "Yes, they did choose me."

"But why?"

"I write," he shrugged. "They read it, they liked it."

"Wow," he seemed to be in awe. "Impressing Angelica and Eliza Schuyler is no small feat, young Alex."

" _Young_ Alex?" he replied incredulously.

"I am older," John laughed. "But you should be impressed."

"John Laurens, I like you a lot," Alex said. "I think we're going to be great friends. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have princesses to talk to."

"Good luck!"

* * *

"He's here!" Eliza exclaimed, shaking her sister.

"Somebody is in _love_ ," Angelica teased.

"Oh, shut up," Eliza said. "Is he coming to talk to us?"

"Looks like it," Angelica mused, looking out the window.

"Girls, what's going on?" General Washington's voice sounded.

"Oh, nothing," Eliza giggled.

"A friend of hers is being drafted," Angelica explained. "And he can write."

"Write?" The general sounded intrigued.

"He can write like nobody else," Angelica clarified. "It's amazing."

"Hm… interesting. Bring him in."

Eliza gulped. How would this go? Would General Washington be pleased, or not? Probably not… She crossed her fingers and hoped for the best.

A knock came on the door. "Come in," Eliza called.

The door opened, and Alex was standing there, looking sheepish. He just stood there for a while, looking at them, until he finally said something.

"Um, hi?"

"Really eloquent," Angelica noted.

"The general wants to talk to you," Eliza said.

Alex gulped. Eliza gestured to Washington's private office, and hesitantly, Alex walked in.

"I hope it goes well for him," Eliza sighed. "But the general isn't easily pleased."

"Are you kidding? If Alex comes out alive, I'll be surprised," Angelica said.

"Oh, don't say that, he is a good man, just a bit stern and harsh," Eliza said defensively.

"This is why you're queen and not me," she laughed. Eliza smiled.

The sisters waited in silence, watching the line of potential soldiers grow and grow, and occasionally breaking their quiet to let a potential soldier know that General Washington was temporarily available. At last, General Washington emerged, Alex in tow.

"Hired!" Alex declared brightly.

"Congratulations!" Eliza squealed, throwing herself onto him. "I'm so proud of you!" Shocked, Alex squirmed out of her grip, and then gave her a short, embarrassed smile. Eliza bit her lip.

Angelica fanned herself. "Me too," she said briskly, shaking Alex's hand. "You're going to do great as… what exactly are you?"

Alex's face shifted. "I'm his secretary," he said in an even tone. "I write things. Mostly letters."

"That's amazing! Do you know how selective the general is about these sorts of things!" Eliza's excitement was genuine. Alex deserved this.

"Alex is a fine young man. He will do nicely in the position," Washington interrupted.

"Wow," Angelica sounded awed. Eliza felt equally at awe.

"You are going to go places, young man," Washington said.

* * *

He had a job.

It certainly wasn't the job he wanted. There was no glory and strife involved in being a secretary. But he did have a job. And judging by the looks on Angelica and Eliza's faces, it paid pretty well, too.

Alex had liked General Washington, against his better instincts. He had liked John Laurens, too. He _would_ have a decent time, glory or not.

"Time to get cracking at some work," he told the princesses, entering the general's office. "See you around, hopefully." They nodded.

He really did hope to see them again. Especially Eliza.

Ugh, no. Why _especially Eliza_? They were all equal to him, these people who treated him like more than nothing. It was more than he had ever gotten. There was no _especially Eliza._ Though she was rather sweet and charming…

Shoving these thoughts out of his mind, Alex began to write his first letters.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Hi, and thanks for reading!**

 **So this update is extra long, hope you enjoyed it! I'll probably be updating next in three weeks, but I'll try to get it up sooner. I had a lot of fun introducing Laurens in this chapter... he seems a bit OOC to me but I'll fix that for sure in upcoming chapters.**

 **If you liked it, please review! Reviews really encourage me. :)**

 **Thanks again, and stay beautiful!**


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